This invention relates in general to methods and apparatuses for raising meat producing cattle to achieve superior growth of such animals and, in particular, relates to a method and apparatus for weaning, feeding and castration of cattle to improve the profitability of a cattle raising operation.
A common method for the removal of a body part is ligation. Ligation is a process in which a band or cord is fastened to the body part to be removed in order to constrict it, thus cutting off the supply of blood and systemic support. The body part thereafter atrophies and drops away from the body. Ligation has been used for many purposes including castration and the removal of horns, tails or other body parts from animals.
Ligation has a number of advantages over surgical procedures for such applications. First, ligation has a safety advantage in that the animal normally does not become susceptible to infection. For example, in the case of castration of bulls, a period of about two weeks to a month typically passes between the time that the ligature is attached to the scrotum and the time that the scrotum drops off. During this time the area adjacent the ligature heals, thus reducing the likelihood of infection. Another advantage of ligation is that ligation can be performed quickly by non-expert personnel, thereby reducing costs. In addition, when the ligature is sufficiently tight, ligation can generally be performed with little stress on the animal because the body part numbs quickly after the blood supply is cut off.
According to one conventional method of ligation, an endless loop of elastic band is stretched to encircle a body part and is used to cut off the blood supply to the body part to be removed. Because the band is endless, the band must be stretched to open it up a sufficient amount so that it can be positioned by passing the band loop over the body part as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,179. This conventional method has the disadvantage that it is difficult to attach the ligature band such that it is sufficiently tight. For example, when an endless band is used to castrate bulls, the band must be stretched to pass over the scrotal sac and its contents and then released to engage the sac at the desired position. The tightness of the band when positioned is therefore limited by the band""s elasticity. In addition, because an endless ligature band generally cannot be tightened, the size of the band loop can only be roughly matched to a particular application. That is, the band is usually selected from a limited number of discrete band sizes. Because of the difficulty in tightening conventional endless bards, such bands may fail to sufficiently cut off the blood supply resulting in prolonged stress to the animal and an increased likelihood of swelling and/or infection. In addition, there is a greater chance that the animal will intentionally or unintentionally displace a loose band.
Another ligation method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,704. A loop of a ligature elastomeric band is formed around the body part to be ligated, and then an end portion of the band is attached to a tightening rod. The tightening rod can then be retracted in a substantially linear fashion by successive pulls on a trigger mechanism, thereby tightening the loop. However, the process of tightening the loop through successive pulls on the trigger mechanism is time consuming and the animal must therefore be restrained for a longer period of time. In addition, the tension which can be imparted to the band, and the tightness of the loop, are limited by the hand strength of the user. Moreover, relatively large frictional and abrasive forces are exerted on the band where the band is attached to the tightening rod, thereby increasing the likelihood of damage to the elastomeric material causing breakage before the desired tension is achieved. Furthermore, the attachment of the end portions of the band can be time consuming and thus impede the speed at which cattle or other livestock can be processed. Additionally, due to the design of the ligature tool, an operator is limited in the extent a band can be tightened. Once an operator has fully retracted the tightening rod, the loop""s tightness cannot be increased.
The inability to achieve relatively quick and complete occlusion of both venous and arterial pressure within the body part being ligated may result in the venous pressure alone being shut off, thereby permitting the stronger arterial pressure to fill the body part with blood. This, in turn, can lead to swelling of the body part and failure of the ligation process, causing consequential pain to the animal.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a ligation tool that can attain a given tension on any elastomeric band without being limited by tool design. It would be further advantageous for the ligation tool to provide an indicator of the tension in the band so that an operator can be assured that an effective amount of ligating tension has been placed on the band.
Additionally, the cattle raising industry has experienced decreased profits due to an imbalance between meat prices and the overhead involved in the raising of cattle. This is at least in part due to conventional cattle raising practices where young male calves are castrated and branded at an early age, thus depriving such calves of natural hormones that promote growth. Moreover, cattle can become highly stressed at various periods, causing slow growth, loss in weight and/or a lower quality or grade of meat. For example, cattle may become especially stressed when the cattle experience any of the following events: being abruptly weaned, provided with unfamiliar surroundings or feed, and castrated, especially in a later period of their life (e.g., at six months to around one year old).
Moreover, cattle raising overhead has increased due to the practice of early castration of bulls followed by subsequent provision to such castrated animals (i.e., steers) with hormone supplements to increase growth and promote weight gain. Thus, not only do such steers experience a reduced growth in comparison with (uncastrated) bulls, but the ratio of lean meat to fat is decreased, thereby providing a lower quality of meat.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a cattle raising management program that reduces the stress in cattle related to the above-mentioned events and also to reduce or eliminate the need for hormone supplements to be provided to steers. Further, it would also be advantageous to provide a cattle raising management program that decreases the cattle raising overhead by accelerating the growth of cattle so that the age by which cattle can be profitably slaughtered is decreased.
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for ligation which avoids or alleviates the problems discussed above. The present invention allows a ligature band to be tightly attached to an animal body part thereby reducing the likelihood of swelling, infection and/or prolonged stress to the animal. The present invention also allows the band to be tightened quickly thereby reducing the length of time that the animal must be restrained.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method and apparatus for ligation is provided. The method includes the steps of forming a loop about the body part with a band of ligature material and winding the band to tighten the loop. Preferably, the band is tightened by securing the band to a spool and then rotating the spool to wind the band. After the loop is tightened, the loop can be secured by crimping a grommet so that the band is secured therein.
A separate aspect of the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for using a preformed endless loop to sever animal parts. Use of an endless ligation loop eliminates the conventional practice of using a linear length of banding material to form a loop around a body part and avoids the subsequent need to attach the respective ends of the band to a means for pulling the band to tighten tile loop. Furthermore, use of a pre-formed loop (i.e., formed prior to insertion of any band material into a ligation device) eliminates the need for cumbersome lengths of ligation material used in conventional ligation operations and enables an operator to slip pre-formed loops around a belt, into a carrying case, etc., thus facilitating easy access to such loops when performing multiple ligation procedures. Moreover, use of pre-formed loops having pre-attached grommets ensures that a loop is never tightened without a grommet first being in place. The likelihood of losing the grommet is also reduced and the preformed endless loop may be inserted in the tool and attached to a means for pulling in a more efficient manner. The pre-formed loop having a grommet pre-attached to the loop, (preferably to form an hour-glass shaped loop) is useful not only with the winding tool disclosed herein, but is also useful with prior art devices, such as the xe2x80x9ccaulking gun-typexe2x80x9d device described by Wadsworth, U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,704.
Moreover, it is an aspect of the present invention that such pre-formed endless loops may be formed from a length of elastomeric band without the use of additional components for tying the ends of the length together. In particular, it has been discovered by the inventor that by providing a passageway through a thickness of the elastomeric band (e.g., by puncturing) and expanding the passageway sufficiently, so that one of the band ends can be inserted therethrough, that when the passageway is allowed to constrict about the inserted end, a loop is obtained that can be effectively used by the ligation tool of the present invention.
A tool constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a receiving device for receiving a band of ligature material, wherein the band forms a loop external to the receiving device. A winding assembly is interconnected to the receiving device such that the loop is tightened by winding the band.
Preferably, the winding assembly includes a spool that facilitates the securing of a band thereabout as the spool is rotated. A ratchet mechanism can be employed to provide for one way rotation of the spool. In one embodiment, the tool is operated by pneumatic or electrical motors or by power tools which function to wind the band around the spool to achieve a desired loop tightness or tension. In a related embodiment, the motor or power source used to wind the tool is recessed within the handle portion of the tool and engages a worm gear or other similar mechanism to rotate the winding spool. The tightness of the loop can be modified by adjusting either the pneumatic/electrical winding device so that winding of ligature material ceases at a predetermined tension, or by providing a clutch mechanism on the tool itself. The winding assembly may rotate in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tool effectively shortening the endless coop and applying pressure around the selected body part of the animal.
In another embodiment of the ligation tool of the present invention, the tool is provided with a tensioning indicator that indicates the tension applied to an elastomeric loop during a ligation procedure. Thus an operator of this embodiment of the tool can be assured that an effective ligation tension is provided to the loop. Moreover, in one embodiment of the tool, the tension indicator is provided by a compressible tool body, wherein the amount of compression indicates a corresponding tension on the loop or band. The compressible tool body may be provided by telescoping tool body segment, wherein one tool body segment slidably moves or compresses as an insert within an outer tool body segment. Further, a compression spring may be used to provide resistance against compression forces urging the inserted body segment further into the outer tool body segment. Thus, by calibrating the extent of compression of the compression spring for various degrees of compressive force, a loop tension indicator can be provided as one or more markings on either the inner or the outer tool body segment.
In a preferred embodiment, the tool includes a lever which is biased against the grommet located in a receptacle in the receiving end of the tool. The pressure exerted by the lever prevents the grommet from inadvertently being mispositioned prior to and during the operation of the tool. Furthermore, when sufficient tension is put on the endless loop and consequent pressure is applied to the body part to be severed, the lever is used to deform the grommet upon and/or around the endless loop to secure the loop around the animal""s body part. When it is desired to release the tool from the ligature material, the lever position is reversed.
In another aspect of the present invention, the ligation method and apparatus of the present invention may be used with a novel method for raising cattle, and more particularly bulls, wherein there is an increase in the quantity and/or quality of meat produced, as well as a reduction in the practice of administering hormonal supplements to steers. That is, this aspect of the present invention combines the use of ligation as disclosed herein within the context of a novel cattle raising management program. In particular, the modifications provided by the present invention include steps for reducing cattle stress and sickness during: weaning, placing calves in unfamiliar surroundings, providing calves with unfamiliar feed, and castration.
More particularly, the novel cattle management program commences weaning at approximately 50 to 200 days, and more preferably at approximately 100 to 150 days from birth. Young cattle are kept with their mothers in the pasture and are xe2x80x9ccreep fedxe2x80x9d in the pasture by providing liquid feed in a container designed to preclude access by older animals while allowing younger calves to freely feed on such liquid feed supplement. Young cattle are then moved from the pasture to a feedlot for weaning purposes. Prior to or at about the time of weaning, vaccines and a specially formulated liquid feed supplement are administered to the calves for preventing, for example, stress induced sickness due to early weaning. The calves are weaned at approximately 100 to 200 days from birth and provided the same liquid feed supplement used in the pasture feeding, together with conventional feed sprayed with such liquid feed supplement. In one embodiment of the invention, the young cattle are moved to a feedlot which has a feeding container therein having the identical liquid feed supplement fed to such cattle prior to weaning. The feedlot is also supplied with a feed container that has conventional feed therein, such feed coated and/or mixed with the same liquid feed supplement. In this way, young cattle are moved to a place (e.g., the feedlot) where there are present familiar aspects to the young animals, including the feed container used prior to weaning and the availability of the now familiar liquid feed supplement. The smell and taste of the liquid feed supplement on the more conventional feed encourages the animals to start eating more conventional feed sooner and thus, such animals gain weight more rapidly and are healthier during the weeks after their conveyance to the feedlot. This greatly reduces the stress on such animals and, importantly, maintains the eating habits of the animals during such transition.
When the bulls are between approximately seven months and ten months of age, they are castrated using the ligation method and apparatus of the present invention, which is substantially less stressful and more effective than other castration methods. Castration at such time achieves the increased muscle and frame development possible with an intact bull while avoiding the unfavorable characteristics of a mature bull. Also, concurrent with such castration, infection preventative measures are administered, such as a tetanus injection. The present invention provides for a more humane method by which to castrate animals. The bloodless castration device provided by the present invention is a vast improvement over the traditional method of castration involving severing an animal""s testicles with a knife during the branding of young calves. The present method is also safer than conventional methods of castration since it does not involve sharp knives typically used in conventional castration procedures where the inevitable movement of an animal during the procedure creates an opportunity for the human operator to suffer cuts to his/her own body.
It is a common experience using conventional practices for young calves, after being removed to a feedlot, to cry out for their mothers and to constantly walk around the feedlot in a semi-panicked and stressed state. During this stressful time period, calves often experience no gain in weight due to their unfamiliarity with the surroundings and their reluctance to eat conventional feed. The stressful conditions and the reduction in the amount of food consumed by such animals, often results in such animals getting sick. Using the present invention, however, it has been found that young calves gain substantially more weight for the first three weeks in the feedlot.
Thus, it is an important aspect of this cattle management program that cattle, and in particular bulls, increase in size and muscle substantially faster than cattle do using conventional cattle raising practices. In particular, by castrating in the age range mentioned hereinabove (rather than the conventional practice of castration at branding time (e.g., birth to approximately two months)), the natural growth hormones secreted by the testicles (namely, testosterone) cause the male animals to grow larger, more rapidly and without the need for (and related expense of) artificial hormones. Further, by castrating during the above-mentioned age range, substantial growth can take place without undesired masculization. Accordingly, the meat derived from such steers has a higher lean-to-fat ratio, with improved cutability characteristics. Tenderness and palatability improvements of meat derived from such animals is also achieved, such factors largely relating to the age of the animal. Accordingly, due to the accelerated growth of cattle raised using this novel cattle management program, cattle may be slaughtered at one year to fourteen months from the date of birth, rather than the more conventional time periods of at least eighteen months to two years from birth. Accordingly, using the present invention, there is a substantial savings in the cattle raising overhead due to the shortened time frame involved. For example, maintenance costs involved in keeping an animal alive for additional months are eliminated, allowing ranchers to not only improve their profit margins, but also to more quickly pay back loans typically required in ranching operations.
Additionally, in a preferred embodiment of the novel cattle management program of the present invention, the liquid feed supplement provided to the cattle has approximately the following ingredients: corn condensed distillers solubles (a by-product of alcohol production); corn steep liquor (a by-product of starch production); vegetable fat (a by-product of corn oil refining) and Protoferm (a by-product of monosodium glutamate). Preferably, the liquid feed supplement comprises approximately 16% protein, of which approximately 56% is natural, with the remaining being non-protein nitrogen in the form of ammonium chloride. The mixture also preferably has approximately 10% fat content and 45% solids. A preferred feed formulation is MIX 30(trademark), available from Timberlake Sales, P.O. Box 7510, Springfield, Ill.
The present inventor is believed to be the first to recognize the advantages of using substantially the same liquid feed enjoyed by calves in the pasture as a feed supplement mixed with more conventional feed mixtures to familiarize cattle with conventional feed. In combination with the novel castration method developed by the present inventor, it is now possible to raise cattle in a manner that significantly increases their growth, reduces stress and provides for healthier weight-gaining animals in a far shorter time period when compared with conventional cattle raising practices. The result is an improved quantity of quality meat yield from such animals and an overall reduction in the costs involved in the cattle raising process.